MAMAJUANA began as an herbal tea created by the Taino Indians over 500 years ago for health and medicinal purposes — made from a combination of different Dominican herbs, spices, sticks, barks and honey. Later Spanish explorers added European alcohol with the Taino’s herbal tea to create one of the first distilled spirits in the Americas, and first MAMAJUANA. Subsequently, Dominican rum became the desired spirit added to the herbal concoction. 

MAMAJUANA is said by Dominicans to have aphrodisiac qualities and various health benefits such as curing influenza and cold, aiding digestion and circulation, and acting as a blood cleanser, renal and hepatic tonic. Moreover, at one point in its history one was not permitted to make or sell MAMAJUANA without a medical license. Ultimately, due to such widespread recognition, it evolved into the national drink.